Thomas c



PATENT 1 Price.

THOMAS C. RILEY, OF BOSTON, MASSAOHUSETTS.

SODA-FOUNTAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 519,433, dated May 8, 1 894.

Application filed July 21, 1 8 93- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. RILEY, of Boston, county of Suffolk,State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improvementin Soda- Fountains, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

In soda fountains it has been customary to join the plates forming the side walls, together, by bolts which pass through holes drilled or otherwise formed through the marble or other slabs.

In making soda fountains composed essentially of glass, thatis, having glass side walls, the cost of drilling the holes for the bolts is found to be considerable, and furthermore it is found that great danger of breakage arises in shipping the fountains when constructed of such material. And furthermore, owing to the difference in expansion and contraction, the glass side Walls when bolted together are very liable to break.

This invention has for its object to so improve the construction of soda fountains that they may be composed essentially of glass, and the side walls secured together without the necessity of drilling or otherwise provid in g said walls with bolt holes,and also whereby the soda fountain may be shipped knocked down so as to be assembled at its destination, to thereby reduce to a minimum the cost of breakage arising in shipping, and also to obviate the liability of breakage owing to expansion and contraction.

My invention therefore, consists in a separable and adjustable frame for the side walls comprising corner posts or pieces interposed between the adjacent edges of the side walls, and suitable connections for said posts or pieces adjustably connecting and securely holding them together.

Figure 1, shows an end View of the soda fountain embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a horizontal section of a portion of the soda fountain shown in Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale.

The side walls a, b, of the fountain are or may be of glass, having their edges beveled as at 2 from the outer side or face toward but not to the inner face, thereby leaving a $erial No.481,1l5. (No model.)

thickened edge 3, yetso far as my invention is concerned, the edges may be otherwise formed. Corner posts 0, are provided of peculiar construction or shape in cross section, as represented in Fig, 2, they being formed with two opposite grooves adapted to receive the beveled or other edges of the plates a, b, suitable packing being preferably interposed, and by making the adjacent sides of said grooves at right angles with relation to each other, and the remote sides in alignment with each other, as shown, the beveled edges of said plates may be received and the plates supported at right angles with relation to each other. This particular arrangement of the grooves 1s adapted for quadrangular fountains, and for plateshaving beveled edges, but for fountains of other shapes, orfor plates having adifferentlyformed edge, such arrangement orform atlon of the grooves will be varied accordingly. By forming the corner posts 0, with grooves, an outer portion d, and an inner portion at, are presented. The inner portion cl, of each corner post is provided with two eyes, 4, 5, or they may be hooks, projecting at right angles with relation to each other.

In assembling the parts, the plates having been placed in position in the grooves in the posts, the eyes 4., of one post will be connected with the eyes 5 of the nextpost by adjustable connecting rods or bars 0, extending parallel with the plates, said rods being herein represented as supplied with turn buckles for adjustment, but they may be otherwise made adjustable. It will be seen that when said connecting rods are drawn taut, the plates (1, b, will be securely held in position and no bolts are required to connect the plates, and furthermore the parts may be so easily assembled that the fountain may be shipped knocked down, to be assembled at its destination. And furthermore, it will be observed that the corner posts, and adjustable connecting rods constitute an adjustable frame for the plates, which may be easilyseparated, and by its adjustment may compensate for expansion and contraction. This particular construction of adjustable frame for the side plates of the fountain, has ob-l vious advantages as stated, but I do not desire to-1imit my invention to this precise construction, as it is obvious that the shape of the corner posts, as well as their construction may be varied, it only being essential to prov1de corner posts or pieces which may be interposed between and adapted to engage the ad acent edges of the plates, and to provide connections for said corner pieces or posts, whereby they may be securely but ad justably fastened together.

Contained within the side walls is the usual wooden frame, or box B, the corners of which abut against the corner pieces, which serve to hold said box, so that a dead air space around it, is maintained. To finish the outer s des or faces of said corner posts, I may provide a glass or other cylinder or tube 6, which may be ornamented in any desirable way, and when such cylinder is used, the outer face of the corner post will preferably be concaved to receive it, but in case such cylinder is omitted, the outer face of the corner post may be made flat or ornamented in any desirable way. If the side walls should be made of other material than glass, which may be shipped without danger of breakage, then of course the parts may be assembled wherever desirable, but even in such case the adj ustable frame possesses many advantages.

In my application, Serial No. 496,358, filed lanuary 10, 1894, I have made claims includmg broadly some of the elements of the apparatus shown and described herein, in connection with other elements not shown and described, it being my intention in this appllcation to limit the invention to the construction illustrated and embraced in the claims.

I claim- 1. In a soda fountain, the combination of the plates thereof, the corner pieces provided with grooves to receive the plates, the seat within the said corner pieces to support an inner box away from the plates, and connecting rods attached to the corner pieces, substantially as described.

2. In a soda fountain, the combination of the plates thereof having beveled edges, the corner pieces provided with grooves to receive the beveled edges of the plates, the seat within the said corner pieces to support an inner box away from the plates, and adjustable connecting rods attached to the corner pieces located within the frame, substantially as described.

3. In a soda fountain the combination of the plates, the corner pieces having cylinders seated in their outer edges, grooves to receive the edges of the plates, the seat within the said corner pieces to support an inner box away from the plates, and connecting rods attached to the corner pieces,,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS C. RILEY.

Witnesses:

B. J. NOYES, EVA S. ROUNDS. 

